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Svetlana Khorkina
| Biography |
Russia's Svetlana Khorkina and Romania's Nadia Comaneci are the only three-time European all-around champions. Born January 19, 1979, in Belgorod, Khorkina competed in her first European Championships in 1992. That year, in the junior team championships held in Italy, she shared a silver medal with her second-place Russian squad. At the 1993 Junior Europeans, held in Geneva, Khorkina placed seventh all-around, fourth on uneven bars and floor exercise, and eighth on vault. Khorkina competed at the Senior Europeans for the first time in 1994 in Stockholm. There, she tied for second all-around behind Romania's Gina Gogean, and won the gold medal on uneven bars. At the 1996 Europeans in Birmingham, Khorkina finished sixth all-around, and shared first place on uneven bars with two other gymnasts. At the 1998 Europeans in Saint Petersburg, Khorkina won the first of her three European all-around titles. She also finished first on uneven bars, and tied Romania's Corina Ungureanu for first place on floor exercise.
Khorkina dominated the 2000 Europeans in Paris (pictured), where she won the gold medal in the all-around, as well as individual titles on uneven bars and balance beam. She shared another gold medal as leader of the winning Russian team. At the 2002 Europeans in Patras, Khorkina narrowly defeated Verona van de Leur of the Netherlands for her third all-around title. She also won her fifth consecutive European title on uneven bars, and finished second on balance beam. Khorkina again led Russia to first place in the team competition, as well. Khorkina is the reigning World all-around champion, and so far in history the only gymnast (male or female) to win three World all-around titles. She placed first all-around at the 1997, 2001 and 2003 Worlds. Khorkina also won the Olympic gold medal on uneven bars in 1996 and 2000.
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